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Podcast #8: Inventing The Local Future

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”–Abraham Lincoln

“Think globally, act locally.”–Variously attributed

If you’ve never heard the phrase, “think globally, act locally,” you’ve probably been living under a rock. It’s origin is murky, but the concept is best attributed to Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes, and his 1915 book, Cities in Evolution. 100 years later, Neil Richardson and Rick Smyre have written the 21st century blueprint for Communities of the Future, in their 2016 volume, Preparing for a World That Doesn’t Exist–Yet. In my Seeking Delphi podcast interview with Neil Richardson, we discuss many of the bold ideas in the book, including the authors’ call for enabling what they call a “second enlightenment.” We also discuss three key points in the book–terms the authors coined–master capacity builder, polycentric democracy and creative molecular economy. Previous podcast episodes of Seeking Delphi have showcased technological quantum leaps that have the potential to cause radical upheaval of civilization. Authors Richardson and Smyre point the way for small to medium organizations and communities to deal with it–to embrace, use, and grow with it. A means to invent the local future.

Links to relevant stories and organizations appear after the audio file and embedded YouTube video below. A reminder that Seeking Delphi is available on iTunes, and has a channel on YouTube. You can also follow us on Facebook. The YouTube video of Robot’s Delight is embedded below.